Outside of quick aesthetic fixes (i.e. paint) are there any specific fixes that make your eyes widen?  

The first was a six year old house with a busted foundation, though the house was supported just right that the "house proper" was still in generally great shape, minus some minor aesthetics, though no major stress fractures in the living portion.

While they may be somewhat pricier than side-by-sides or a stackable, they will certainly be much more pleasing aesthetically.

Pride of ownership is also important to us, and we are strong with aesthetics, so we would like to add value by creating charming aesthetically-pleasing properties.We would owner occupy in the property most advantageous to achieving goals, fine with moving a few times. :: POSSIBLE STRATEGY :: A strategy I’m considering is buy-and-hold in Los Angeles, starting with residential.

It is funny when we compare those two locations aesthetically. 

You will have to give other parameters as well, for example, budget, desired SF, aesthetics and so on.

I personally wouldn't gut a unit that doesn't need it and would focus on making it mechanically sound and aesthetically pleasing without busting the budget trying to make a rental look like the Taj Mahal.

What's odd is this is so common, and I actually like it, but when I took architectural classes it was always considered  aesthetic no, no.  

I would still avoid vinyl siding as much as I could, not necessarily for aesthetic reasons, but more for its environmental impact.   

If you're planning on selling it to an investor to use as a rental, they are looking for functionality more than aesthetics.